Author Archives for Mike Davidsen

Both the Packers and Vikings came away with ugly wins in Week 1, Minnesota’s slightly more justified than Green Bay’s. But instead of downplaying the magnitude of this Sunday’s primetime matchup, much of the conversation this week has revolved around injuries, starting with the Vikings’ quarterback situation and followed by the availability of both teams’ top cornerbacks. The potential absence of Xavier Rhodes at cornerback would leave Minnesota exposed in its secondary, with second-year cornerback Trae Waynes likely getting the start opposite veteran cornerback Terrence Newman. Should this happen, expect Aaron Rodgers to take every advantage of one-on-one matchups on…

Week 1 of the 2016 season presents an opportunity for the Packers to reverse the very mediocre image created of themselves during the second half of the 2015 season. Not helping the team achieve full readiness were some rather surprising roster moves made before the 53-man deadline last week by Ted Thompson and the Packers front office. The sudden release of pro bowl guard Josh Sitton topped all headlines during the final roster cuts last weekend, a move that will be sure to affect the chemistry that the veteran Packers offensive line had built over the course of multiple seasons.…

Last season, the Green Bay Packers’ passing game went from one of the league’s best to one of the team’s most problematic areas on either side of the ball. While most fans expected a minor dip in production due to the preseason loss of Jordy Nelson, few predicted the straight dysfunction that ensued during the second half of the season. The passing game’s output was so poor that it begged the question of whether the Rodgers-less offense during the second half of the 2013 season was even more effective moving the ball through the air. With the 2015 offensive line…

Eleven years ago, Packers GM Ted Thompson made Aaron Rodgers the 24th overall pick in the 2005 draft – despite the presence of future Hall of Famer Brett Favre on the roster – serving as a loud proclamation of his Best Player Available (BPA) draft philosophy. This draft strategy has kept Thompson employed for over a decade, while yielding a Super Bowl ring in 2011 and evolving three of Thompson’s front office disciples into GMs for other teams. The strategy, while often times infuriating fans on draft day, has built appreciation and trust in Ted’s roster-building approach, while other…

Riding a three-game winning streak, the Packers travel to Arizona in Week 16 with the hopes of stealing the first-round bye that Bruce Arians’ Cardinals have all but secured. Green Bay’s wins of late have been less than impressive but, at the same time, establish momentum for a team that was trending in the wrong direction for most of November. A win in the desert would greatly amplify that momentum during a crucial stretch, as the team begins to prepare for the postseason. The Cardinals present the same type of challenge that Green Bay encountered in early November against Carolina:…